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heat wave

Brace yourself for more record heat

Current high temperatures in the northern hemisphere are set to continue. Climate change means we're likely to experience very hot summers more often — even though we're already struggling with health consequences now.

Europe is in the throes of a heat wave, and it's not letting up — on the contrary. More hot air is coming over from Africa, and is even bringing desert dust with it.

Southwestern European countries are being hit especially hard. Authorities in Portugal issued a nationwide health warning, including for dust from the Sahara. Warnings were also issued for 40 of Spain's 50 provinces. The southeastern Portuguese town of Beja is expected to see a peak of 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday.

If people on the Iberian peninsula feel like they can't think clearly in that sort of heat anymore, that's not just subjective. Hot weather can make your thinking 13 percent slower, showed a study conducted by the Harvard Chan School of Public Health this past July.

But that's not the only problem with extreme heat. High temperatures increase the level of pollutants in the air, as they speed up the rate of chemical reactions. This increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

On top of that, unusually high temperatures at night disturb restful sleep, preventing the body from recovering from daytime heat.

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Heat bakes Europe

Europe’s heat wave shows no signs of abating

"Heat waves have caused much higher fatalities in Europe in recent decades than any other extreme weather event," Vladimir Kendrovski, a WHO climate change officer for Europe pointed out.

Vulnerable groups such as young children and the elderly suffer the most. Many victims of extreme heat live in densely populated urban areas, which often suffer from a "heat-island effect," and where ventilation is scarce.

At least 119 people died of heat stress in July, with 49,000 more being hospitalized. The city of Kumagaya set a new national heat record, with temperatures hitting 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) in late July. In Tokyo, temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time ever.

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Japan hit by heat wave

Japan swelters in record temperatures

China is set to experience significant problems with extreme heat in the not-too-distant future, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shown that unless drastic measures are taken to limit greenhouse gas emissions, China's most populous and agriculturally important region could repeatedly face conditions in which humans cannot survive unprotected in the open for extended periods of time.

Human-caused climate change will also fuel more heat waves in the United States, researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science found.

Climate change will be a dominant driver for heat wave events in the Great Lakes region by 2030, and in the northern and southern plains by 2050 and 2070, respectively.

"Without human influence, half of the extreme heat waves projected to occur during this century wouldn't happen," said the report's lead author Hosmay Lopez.

In many places, the problem isn't just extreme heat, but heat coupled with humidity.

Heat ups risk for malaria

Hot, humid weather is also a perfect setting for insects to thrive. This is particularly worrisome for countries vulnerable to diseases such as malaria or dengue — that is, vector-borne diseases — transmitted by the bite of species such as mosquitoes, ticks or blackflies.

"Vector-borne diseases are associated with climate change, due to their widespread occurrence and the vectors' sensitivities to their environments," Kendrovski said.

Mosquitos like Aedes aegypti, which can transmit dengue and yellow fever, are spreading into new regions due at least in part to rising temperatures.

Heat waves likely to get more lethal

So what can humans do to survive the heat? Don't stay in the sun, wear light, loose clothing, and drink enough water.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Paint the town white

One easy way to combat the harsh summer sun could be painting your roof white — an idea long embraced by Greeks. A black roof absorbs most of the sunlight that hits it, heating up the underlying home like an oven. Light-colored surfaces, on the other hand, can reflect up to 80 percent of the sun's rays, keeping inside temperatures cooler. That also means a lower carbon footprint and energy bill.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Water in the city

Bodies of water like lakes, canals and rivers can help bring down the temperature in cities, cooling the surrounding air when it evaporates. Water doesn't adjust to temperature changes quickly and so, to an extent, can maintain a certain level of heat or coldness. Urban areas short on space don't need to have a huge lake to benefit from this cooling effect — fountains can also help.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Add a little green

Planting trees is a simple way to create cool spaces in cities. Specifically, it's the shade they provide and the water they evaporate through their leaves that make the real difference. If planted strategically along streets or around buildings, they can significantly cool inside temperatures and combat the urban heat island effect.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Parks and gardens

According to a study by the Technical University of Munich, several small parks can better cool a city than one big one. That's because large parks lower temperatures in one specific place, while small parks, if evenly spread out, can impact a much wider area. Connecting city green spaces with wind corridors can also help air flow and to reduce heat.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Gardens on the roof

If you don't want to paint your roof white, green roofs, or rooftop gardens, can also have a cooling impact on urban areas. The vegetation absorbs heat through the evaporation of rain water, while at the same time insulating the building and reducing the need for air conditioning. Rooftops also make a great place to plant vegetables, from pumpkins (above) to carrots.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Spice spice baby

While you're building your rooftop garden, you also might want to consider planting some chili. That's because spicy food, believe it or not, can keep you cool. It forces you to sweat, lowering your body temperature.

How cities and people can beat the heat

Sweating through the heat

When temperatures rise above 30 degrees, it might seem sensible to eat ice cream or drink something cold. That's not what the experts advise, though. Just like spicy food, drinking hot tea will increase your body temperature and cause you to sweat, which in turn cools your body down.

Author: Leonard Proske

Nausea and headaches are common reactions to the heat, but altered behavior, vomiting, rapid breathing and a racing heart could be signs of heatstroke. In that case, an ambulance should be called immediately. Untreated heatstroke can quickly damage your brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. The longer the treatment is delayed, the higher the risk of serious complications or death.

In the future, the number of fatalities as a result of heat waves is likely to rise if people are not able to adapt to rising temperatures.

Researchers from Australia's Monash University developed a model to estimate the number of deaths related to heatwaves in 20 countries for the period of 2031 to 2080. Under the most extreme scenario, there would be a 471 percent increase in deaths caused by heat waves in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in comparison with the period 1971 to 2010.

In good news, another recent study indicates that Spain has indeed been able to adapt to hotter temperatures. Although summer temperatures in Spain have risen by more than 1 degree Celsius since 1980 due to climate change, heat-related deaths have declined since then, researchers at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found.

"Improvements in housing stock, the popularization of air conditioning, advances in health services, and awareness campaigns are all factors that may have contributed to the trend we are seeing," said senior author Joan Ballester.

"However, we still don't know whether this downward trend will continue if climate change becomes more intense in the future," he concluded.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Europe strips off

Summer 2018 began as a welcome break from Europe's often-unpredictable weather, and people took advantage of the constantly warm temperatures to spend more time outside. The heat was especially a boon for pubs and bars where fans congregated to watch the soccer World Cup. But as temperatures climbed to up to 39 Celsius, the heat wave's negative effects began to be felt across the continent.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Racing against the clock

The high temperatures and low rainfall led to a sharp rise in wildfires across several European countries, including Sweden, where authorites were, at one stage, battling more than 50 blazes, some in the Arctic Circle. When German firefighters tackled a forest fire in Fichtenwalde, near Berlin, their operation was suddenly made more urgent by the discovery of unexploded World War II ammunition.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Paradise goes up in flames

Greece, meanwhile is counting the cost of its own devastating wildfire which last week left 86 people dead. The seaside village of Mati, just 30 kilometers (17 miles) from Athens, saw houses and land incinerated, while many people drowned after rushing into the sea or were burned alive while trying to escape in their cars.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Scorched earth as rivers start to run dry

Many of Europe's rivers and reservoirs experienced almost drought-like conditions after water levels dropped severely. Freight vessels that ply German sections of the River Rhine (pictured here in Düsseldorf) and Danube were ordered not to sail fully loaded. The Netherlands meanwhile closed several movable bridges after the metallic structures expanded so much that they couldn't be opened.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Heat makes great escape worse

As millions of Europeans hit roads, rail and air for their annual summer holidays, transport infrastructure struggled to cope. Eurotunnel passengers faced delays of up to five hours after the air conditioning units failed on trains. Some holidaymakers were forced to spend the night at Hanover airport after authorities canceled flights when one of the runways started to melt.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

The coast is no escape

Poland shut scores of beaches along the Baltic Sea coast after the heat wave triggered a massive toxic algae bloom. German health officials, meanwhile, warned the elderly and others with weaker immune systems to avoid swimming in the Baltic Sea as the increased water temperature poses a danger from vibrio bacteria, which can cause severe illness.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Foods prices likely to rise

German farmers estimated the damage to crops from the heat wave could reach €1.4 billion and warned of higher supermarket prices. Other countries predicted the worst grain harvest in 25 years, as crops ripened much faster than expected and low rainfall produced a low yield. In Sweden, dairy farmers said they were being forced to slaughter some of their livestock.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Spray fountains keep Parisians cool

Until storms broke the intense heat on Friday evening, Parisians made use of the city's recreational facilities to keep cool, including water fountains around the Eiffel Tower. Despite being 3,324 pages long, France's infamous labor code doesn't mention a specific temperature that would force companies to shut down. But staff can't be punished if they stop work over fears for their health.

Soaring temperatures, wildfires scorch Europe

Dark clouds hint at end of hot spell

Parts of Europe experienced up to six weeks of uncomfortably hot weather. Forecasters predicted that the first storms would bring heavy rainfall to many areas this weekend. Thunder, rain and hail were reported in France and the UK on Friday evening, while the darkening clouds alerted the crowd at this cricket match just outside the English city of Leeds to prepare for a similar downpour.